Theft prevention device



F. V, MADDIN Dec. 18, 1934.

THEFT PREVENTTON DEVICE Filed Sept. 22, 1935 Patented Dec. 18, l1934 y, insisto UNITED STATES PATENT oFFioE v THEFT PREVENTION DEVICE Fred V. Madelin, Tulsa, Okla. Application September 22, 1933, Serial No. 690,595

9 Claims.

Y The invention relates to theft prevention devices, particularly adapted for use in connection with the filling pipe of a tank for storage of gasoline at fillingstations, and has for its object to provide an obstruction member within the iilling pipe at a substantial distance from the intake end thereof and rremovable means lock controlled and adapted to be inserted in the filling pipe and having rotatable lugs adapted to be placed in 'interengagement with the obstruction member whereby said obstruction vmember may be removed from the filling pipe when itis desired to refill `or empty the tank through the filling pipe.

A further object is to provide the obstruction member' with a downwardly extending member adapted to engage the bottom of the tank for limiting thev downward movement of the obstruction member in the iilling tank to a pree vdetermined position. A further object is to upwardly bevel the interengaging yportions of the obstruction member, thereby preventing the removal of the member by inserting a hooked instrument into vthe filling pipe.

A further object is to provide the lock casing with a tubular extension in which the rotatable lock bolt is rotatably mounted in an oficenter position so that the interengaging lugs carried thereby may be rocked or rotated into locking engagement with arcuate grooves in the inner periphery of the obstruction member for removing the obstruction member or into the lines ofthe tubular member, thereby allowing removal of Ythe obstruction removing device when desired Without removing the obstruction or vice versa. Y

A further object is to providethe obstruction Amember with a chamber of substantially the same size as the' tubular member of the removing device, thereby insuring interengagement of the locking lugs in the arcuate slots in the obstruction member by preventing lateral displacement of the tubular member.

A further'object is to provide the lug end of the removing device with an interengaged cap locked thereon by the lugs,` thereby" preventing copying of thelocking combination by unauthorized persons when the device is not in use, vfor instancein the filling station.

With the above and other objects in view the 'invention resides in the combination and arrangement ofI parts as hereinafter set forth shown inthe drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope f what is claimed without depart- A@fing v'from the spiritof the invention.

Inihedrawmg-. Figure 1 -isa-\"vertical transverse sectional view through a portion of a conventional form of gasoline storage tank, a filling pipe and the obstruction device. 4

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view in perspective ofthe obstruction device, the obstruction remover and a portion of the filling pipe. i I

Figure 3 is a detail perspective View of the lower end ofthe obstruction remover.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional viewtaken on line 4-4 of figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view in vertical transverse cross section of a portion of the removal device and a removable protecting cap carried thereby.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a gasoline storage tank of the type which is embedded in the ground 2 and 3 an upwardly extending filling pipe carried bythe tank. 'Fillling 'pipe 3 is provided with removable'cover 4 on its upper end, heldin position Vby a lock v5. It has been found `that unauthorized persons may easily obtain access to the tank through the 'filling pipe 3 by twisting the lock 5 from position or otherwise breaking the cap 4, and after which it is only a matter of inserting a pipe and pumping the gasoline from the tank. 'Theft operations of this character are often carried on by filling station operators, and in which case the tank is usually lled with an inferior grade of gasoline, and to obviate this difficulty, the present device is primarily designed.

To prevent unauthorized persons from removing gasoline from the tank 1 through the filling opening 2 an obstruction 6 is provided which is adapted to be placed in the filling pipe 3 at a substantial distance from the upper end thereof, so it can not be lreached with ordinary tools'or implements. The obstruction 6 is provided with van extension '7 which extends downwardly into the tank 1 and rests on the bottom thereof at 8. The extension '7 has sufficient rigidity whereby it will not bend or collapse if an instrument is inserted in the filling pipe 3 against the obstruction 6 for driving the obstruction into the tank and from the llingpipe. The upper end of the obstruction extension '7 is threaded at 9 into the obstruction as clearly shown in Figure 2. It will be noted that the obstruction 6 is of slightly smaller diameter than the filling pipe, however this is only for a working t incident to the rough interior periphery of the filling pipe.

The obstruction 6 is provided with a chamber 10 in its upper side, and which chamber terminates at its upper end in a bevelled outward flared portion ll'foraguiding the lower end of the tubular extractor member 12 axially into the chamberlO when lowered into filling pipe for removing the obstruction This action is further insured by providing the lower end of the tubular member 12 with a bevelled surface which cooperates with the bevelled surface 11. The tubular member 12 is of a substantial length for insertioninto the-filling pipe -for an -interengagng operation with the obstruction 6 and terminates at its upper end in a lock casing 14 adapted to be grasped by the operator during@ Y mentin a iilling pipe of a gasoline storage tank,

an obstruction removing operation. l v

The lock casing 14 has disposed therein'a conventional form of key controlled mechanism controlled by the key 15 for unlocking and rotating the lug carrying rod 16 which extends downwardly through the tubular extension 12` and has a bearing 17 in the lower end of the extension.` -Rod 16 terminates at its lower end in a rectangular portion 18 having mounted thereon in spaced relation locking lugs 19, which, when the rod 16 is rotated, move outwardly to a position beyond Vthe peripheral lines of the tubular `member 12 and into the arcuate grooves 20 in the inner periphery of the chamber 10 for forming an interengaging connection between the obstruction' removing device andthe obstruction, thereby allowing removal of the obstruction from the pipe 3 when it is desired to rell the` tank 1. f .t will be noted that the tubular member 12 is of substantially the same di- -ameter as the chamber 10 of the obstruction,

therefore there will be no Ydanger oi a lateral movement ofthe lower end of the tubular member `12 in the chamberlvduring the interengagement of the lugs `19 in the grooves 20. It is `obvious that any numberof lugs 19 may be used, and anynumber of grooves 20 and positioned at different distances apart, and that such combinations can be varied by increasing or reducingthe number of spacing washers 21 interposed between the lugs 19, the tubular extension 'l2 andthe retaining screw 22. Applicant 4does Ynot limit himself ink this particular. Operating rod 16 is eccentrically mounted to one side .of the center of the tubular member 12, henceit will be seen that when the lugs 19 aremoved to their unlocked positions as clearly shown in dotted lines in figures 2 and 3, they will be within the peripheral lines of the tubular member 12,

.thereby allowing removal of the removing device.

When the obstruction removing device is not in use, it may be kept in the iilling station with the key 15 removed. However, to prevent any onefrom observing the vnumber of lugs 19 or this particular mechanism or duplicating the combination, a cap 23 is provided which is locked on the tubular member 12 as clearly shown in Figure 5 with the-lugs 19 in the arcuate grooves 24 in the inner periphery of the cap, .therefore it will be seen that it will be impossible for an unauthorized person to remove the capVobserve or duplicate the combination, consequently the `obstruction removing device may be left around the filling station with safety.V The upper edges of the groove 20k are bevelledas shown at 25 in Figure 2, thereby preventing the insertion of a hooked instrument into engagement therewith for unauthorized removal of the obstruction as fit is obvious that theV bevelled edges would prevent the obtaining of a purchase or hold on the device;

' Fromthe above it will be `seen that 'a theft prevention `device .is provided for use in connection with storage tanks wherein an obstruction `is removably placed 'in the filling pipe and that a, removing device is provided in Vconnection tlfxerewitlfi whereby the obstruction can :be .easily of means for removing said abutment, said v'means comprising an elongated tool, said tool `comprising a tubular member, one end of said `member extending into a chamber of the abutment, a lock casing carried by the other end of saidv tubular member, an eocentrically mounted `rotated rod in said tubular member and extending into the chamber of the abutment, said rod `being `lock controlled, aV plurality of lugs :car-

ried by said rod within the chamber of theabutment and movable into registering grooves `inthe i chamber of the abutment, said lugs being movable to positions outside the lines `of ythe tubular member.

`2.A device as set forth in claim 1 including upper bevelled edges in the groove in the chamberrof the abutment.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the Aupper end `of theV chamber of `the abutment is flared.

4. A device as set forth in `claim 1 including a flared upper end to the` `abutment chamber and a bevelled lower end on the tubular member.

5. The combination with a filling pipe abutment removing tool having means for locking the same to an abutment in a. lling pipe, of a housing for the lockingportion of said tool entirely concealing the same `and locked thereto by its locking means. 6. Thev combination with a normally unobstructed lling pipe of a storage tank, said pipe having ,an upwardly disposed discharge `end, of an abutmenty in said filling pipe spaced from the discharge end thereof andiof substantially the same size ofthe interior of the pipe, whereby ow of liquid` through the filling pipe `is blocked, thespacing of the abutment from the discharge end of the pipe forming means whereby saidabutment can not be reached `by an ordinary tool, a rigid membercarried by said abutment and extending `into the tank and into engagement `with the'ftanlnsaid4 abutment being solely limited in its movement towards the tank by said rigid member.

'7. A device as set forth in claim :6 including means carried `by the abutment for receiving a .y

removing tool.

8. The combination with an abutment disposed in a lling pipe andfsubstantially closing the passage therethrough whereby ow of liquid is blocked through the pipe, said abutment being spaced from the discharge `end of the pipe a 'substantial distance whereby it can not be lio 

